Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Call Up Minor Leaguer to Replace Injured Starter

The Houston Astros have decided who will take the place of their injured starting pitcher on the roster.
Brad Wakai|
Mar 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Luis Contreras (72) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches
Mar 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Luis Contreras (72) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches | Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Astros

Ahead of the trade deadline on July 30, the Houston Astros have to decide which direction they're going to take in the midst of their disappointing season.

General manager Dana Brown has been adamant they won't be sellers, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be buyers.

Owner Jim Crane gave the green light for the Astros to go into the luxury tax, but after releasing Jose Abreu and still owing him tons of money without having him on this roster, how aggressive they want to be for the second half is unknown.

If they are going to become buyers, then starting pitching seems like the obvious target area.

Without Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy in the mix for the remainder of the year, this group is thin until Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. return from their injuries post-All-Star break.

In the meantime, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports they have selected the contract of Triple-A pitcher Luis Contreras and have transferred Cristian Javier to the 60-day IL in order to make room on the 40-man roster. Nick Hernandez was recently sent down to the minors, so Contreras takes his spot.

Houston signed the 28-year-old old to a minor league contract this offseason and he has been phenomenal at the Triple-A level, posting a 1.40 ERA across 19 appearances with an opponent's batting average of .171.

Originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2019, Contreras wasn't able to break through and make his Major League debut, so if he gets into a game with the Astros, that will be his first time pitching in The Show.

He's projected to a be a middle reliever and will look to stabilize some things in Houston's bullpen.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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